My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): May 16 – May 22

 

Monday

WOD – 10 Minute EMOM
2 power clean + 1 push jerk (165 lb.)
This wasn’t a hard workout since the weight was light. I focused more on my catch position since I tend to stand straight when the weight is too light. I wasn’t too tired by the end, it was a fun workout.
Front Squat – Find Your 3 Rep Max
I haven’t tested heavy front squats in awhile. The heaviest was 90% a week or so ago. My previous three rep max was 260 lb. and I wanted to hit a PR this week. After warming up I started at 265 lb. and worked up to 275 lb. reaching a new PR! Now I need to test a new 1RM.

Tuesday

Front Squat – Find a 2 Rep Heavy
The description on the workout was no PR’s. I decided to work up to my new 3RM. I was only able to get up to 245 lb. I wasn’t feeling it. My form didn’t feel great and I had a hard time keeping my elbows up. I stopped since I didn’t want to get hurt.
3 Position Power Snatch

The front squats didn’t feel the best but I wanted to make it up on the snatch. My heaviest weight for this workout was 125 lb. So I would use that as my weight gauge. I worked up to 135 lb. but it wasn’t the best. The ground and hang were good, I moved well but the lift from the power position wasn’t great. I didn’t get under the bar quick enough, and I pressed out a bit. I hope it was fatigue.

Split Jerk (Behind the Neck) – 5×3 at 75% (165 lb.)

I haven’t been practicing split jerks from behind the neck so I decided not to rush the weight. At 135 lb. the weight felt light so I decided to go straight to 165 lb. The lifts were great, the hardest part of the workout was lowering the bar on my back. I wasn’t using blocks so I couldn’t just drop the weight. It was a fun workout.

Wednesday

Strict Press – 8×4 at 75% (125 lb.)

 

This was a grind. I took a few minutes in between sets. I struggled with my form towards the end but I finished eventually.

 
Power Snatch – 9 Minute EMOM
1 Power Snatch at 75% 1RM (115 lb.)
I focused on making each rep, a good rep. The weight was easy to manage and I didn’t rush my set up time.
WOD
FGB Style, 4 Rounds
Row (cal.)
Burpee over Rower
Alternating goblet lunge (54 lb.)
Rest
This was tough. I tried to stay consistant with all movements but I hit a wall in the third round. I was short a few reps for each movement but I was able to pick it back up on the fourth round. My totals for the rounds were 36, 36, 29, 36.

Thursday

Strict Press – 10×3 at 80% (135 lb.)
This took me nearly 45 minutes to complete. I had to take a few minutes in between sets to rest. I got it done eventually.
Clean Complex – 3×3 at 70% (160 lb.)
Halting Clean Deadlift + Hang Power Clean + Front Squat
I still need to work on my first pull and my hang cleans. My butt is alittle high on the pull. My hang clean still needs some tweaking. I was beat after this workout so I decided not to do the WOD.

Friday

Power Clean and Jerk – Find 1 Rep Heavy
I was able to hit a 215 lb. power clean and jerk. My current clean and jerk is 215 lb. I didn’t want to attempt a heavier weight since I wanted to save some energy for the WOD.
Partner WOD
60 power snatches (75 lb.)
30 synchronized burpees
40 clean and jerks (115 lb.)
20 synchronized burpees
20 thrusters (135 lb.)
10 synchronized burpees
I did this workout with my fiance and it went very well. The work was split evenly and the burpees were done together. We decided on sets of five, since it would give us enough rest. The snatches felt great. I was able to go five straight without much of a problem, and my fiance was just as quick. The burpees were tough but we got through it. We would take a short break every ten reps. The clean and jerks were done in sets of five as well. The weight wasn’t too heavy and I was able to get through it quickly. The thrusters were the hardest part. The weight felt a lot heavier but it was probably fatigue. We got through the workout in 18:05.

 

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Loot Crate June 2016 Theme: Dystopia

Images taken from the Loot Crate Email.

This month’s theme is “Dystopia”. They have a lot of franchises in this image. The Matrix, Fallout, Robocop, Terminator 2, and Bioshock. My only hope is that they put quality items like last month. Loot Crate has been doing well lately and I next’s month’s box is just as good if not better than this month.

I wonder what they’re going to include this month. I would want a Fallout shirt. I’m not done with Far Harbor yet and have been playing other games in between. I wonder if they will include a figure this month. I like all these franchises so I hope Loot Crate delivers.

If you use the code “FREEFIG” when signing up for a 3, 6, or 12-month Loot Crate and receive a free mystery figure! This is the first time they’re offering it so take advantage.

If you want to sign up use this LINK, also use the promo code SAVE3 for $3 off any subscription. I also get credit towards more Loot Crates if you use the link. If you have any questions, leave a comment at the bottom.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

May 2016 Loot Crate Unboxing: Power

What is Loot Crate?

Taken from the Loot Crate site, “Each month, Loot Crate™ ships a themed mystery box of the best geek, gaming, and pop culture gear to a subscriber base of over 100,000 Looters. We emphasize phenomenal support and content, and include gear from some of the most respected entertainment and consumer product companies in the world.” Loot Crate sells for $13.95 a month plus $6.00 shipping and handling. You can save on the costs by subscribing for longer periods as well. If you like this theme check out the link at the bottom to subscribe.

What’s in the Box?

As a recovering World of Warcraft player, I love this shirt. The Orc and Human design is subtle and not too “flashy”. Definitely going to wear this to the movie.

 

This thing is amazing! I wasn’t too sure what kind of kitchen item we would be getting in this month but I’m happy it’s this. I now have the power to…resist oven temperatures!

 

Who didn’t like watching DBZ as a kid? This Shenron and Dragon Ball plushie is awesome. It also has a clasp if you want to hook it on a bag.

 

The last two Q-Figs we got were great. The Adam West Batman and Deadpool figures are awesome, and now I get to add a sweet Hulk figure to add to the shelf. This figure is also a Loot Crate exclusive, which is awesome.

This month’s pin is a robot from Battleborn. Redeem your code on the LOOT CRATE website to receive some in game items.

The box turns into a display for your new Q-Fig!

Final Thoughts

I think this month’s items were worth it. A lot of quality items without any filler. I don’t have a favorite because I loved everything in this one! One of my favorite boxes to date.
If you want to sign up use this LINK, also use the promo code BOX5 to save $5 off your first subscription. If that code doesn’t work you can use SAVE3 for $3 off any subscription. I also get credit towards more Loot Crates if you use the link.

 

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Miniature Mondays: Reznik 2 Update

Sorry This Took So Long

After taking months off of painting this miniature I finally got some inspiration to finish it. With the release of Warmachine “MK3” I want to finish as many miniatures as possible. I’ve finished the horses, the wheels and a wrack. Need to do some touch ups on the horses but that shouldn’t be difficult. Need to start painting the chariot, and finish the base, the other wrack and flags. I should have this done in a month or so.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

 

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): May 9 – May 15

I included a video of some of the workouts I did during the week. Check it out at the end of this post.

Monday

Strict Press – 6×6 at 65% (110 lb.)Starting the week with more barbell club workouts. I was able to get through this quickly without much trouble. The weight felt heavy towards the end but that’s about it.

Power Snatch (Low Block) – 4×3 at 75% (115 lb.)

This is the first time I did snatches off of low blocks. It felt great but I need to work on my technique. I need to work my bar path since the bar would swing out.

Pause Power Clean and Jerk – 5×2 at 70% (155 lb.)

This was challenging for the first two sets. I’m not that great at pause lifts but I was able to finish the workout. I got the hang of the movement towards the end of the last round.

Front Squat Pause – 5×3 at 70% (215 lb.)

This was a hard one. In the beginning, it was easier to keep an upright torso and keep my elbows up. Towards the end I had to fight to keep my elbows up. I tried to focus on maintaining a good front rack and being active in the bottom position. I also need to learn how to breathe while holding that pause at the bottom.

WOD – 10 Minute AMRAP

50 double unders
10 back squats (135 lb.)

This was a great workout. I wanted to test my endurance during a high intensity workout. I’m okay at double unders but I tend to tire quickly. The back squats are light enough that I can go unbroken without issue. My goal for this workout was five rounds. I was able to go unbroken on the first two rounds and then I hit a wall on the third. It was difficult for me to string double unders together. I would get to about 5-10 reps and then hit my shoes or stop from fatigue. It took me about a minute or so to get through them. The same goes for round four and the beginning of five. The squats started feeling heavy after round two. I would complete five reps rest for ten seconds and then continue with five more reps. I was only able to complete four rounds plus 35 double unders, a bit short of my five round goal. If I didn’t fatigue on the double unders I would have finished five. I have a lot of room for improvement.

Tuesday

3 Position Snatch – Heavy One Rep
I thought this workout was going to be power snatches but it’s regular snatches. I wanted to at least get up to 145 lb. since I was able to power snatch that weight from two positions. I was only able to get up to 135 lb. but I did notice a few things on the video I recorded. I need to work on lowering my hips, lifting my elbows towards the ceiling instead of back and working on my catch.
Deficit Power Clean – 5×2 at 80% (185 lb.)

Took some time to get used to the platform. I’ve been working on deficit dead lifts which are done on plates but the platform has some room for foot movement. I also had to work on stepping off the platform to drop the weight since it might have hit the platform and bounced everywhere.

Back Squat – 4×4 at 70% (265 lb.)

Ended this day with a back squat workout. Nothing too crazy, mainly a maintenance day.

Wednesday

Deadlift – Max Out!

 

I wasn’t able to hit a PR today but I learned a lot. Programming is important. The past few weeks, I haven’t been doing the strength portion of the class programming. I’ve been focused on the oly strength work and haven’t been doing heavy deadlifts. I was able to complete my 93% (385 lb.) but I failed at 420 lb. I felt my form break a few inches off the ground and I let it go. I didn’t want to fight for it and hurt myself in the process. Need to get back to heavy deadlifts so I can finally PR this lift!

WOD – 14 Minute AMRAP 

Run (200 m)
10 Ab mat sit ups
6 deadlifts (225 lb.)

This was a fun workout especially after all the heavy deadlifts. My goal was to complete six rounds completing one round every two minutes or so. The first few rounds went by smoothly. I did all the reps unbroken and was below my two minute per round pace. After round three though, the run started to slow me down. I was jogging at a slow pace and I couldn’t speed up. It was like I was in auto pilot. I was able to finish 5 rounds and 50 m.

Thursday

Push Press Complex
 
3 Snatch Grip Push Press (Behind The Neck) + 1 Snatch Balance 5×1 at 70% (115 lb.)Haven’t done these skills in awhile and I had a good time doing them. Snatch balances are one of my favorite drills now.

Tabata Clean and Jerk (Touch and Go) at 75% Body Weight (155 lb.)
 
40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest

I would only work for 20 seconds and rest for 40. It was difficult holding onto the bar for that many touch and go reps. I would stop after I let go of the bar. For the first two rounds I was able to do three reps and declined to one rep by the sixth minute. I found a second wind and completed two and then three reps for the last four rounds. I may have to do less reps in the future, since my form wasn’t great towards the end.

Pause Front Squat –  5×3 at 70% (215 lb.)
These front squats were very difficult. It could have been because of all the clean and jerks from the previous workout. I was able to upright but my elbows would drop. I hung in there and was able to complete all the reps. I hope they program the squats at the beginning next time.
WOD 1 – 10 Minutes
 
Alternating EMOM
15 cal. row
15 handstand push ups

I was able to complete the row but not the hand stand push ups. My reps ranged from 5-15. I might have been fatigued from all the press movements but I pushed as hard as I could to finish. It was rough.

WOD 2 
 
25 Russian kettlebell swing (53 lb.)
10 supine ring rows
Row (500 m)
10 supine ring rows
25 Russian kettlebell swing (53 lb.)
I rested for about five minutes before I joined this class workout. It looked like a lot of fun so I decided to join. The ring rows were the hardest part of this workout. The first set was good. I was able to complete 10 unbroken. I had to break the second round into two sets of five. My forearms started to go during the second set of KB swings. I was able to hold on and finish the set unbroken. My final time was 5:58.

Friday

Back Squat  – 4×4 at 70% (265 lb.)
More back squat work. This was the same workout as Tuesday, not a crazy squat day.
Strict Press – 7×5 at 70% (115 lb.)
35 reps is a lot. I wasn’t sure how well I was going to do but their was only one way to find out. Surprisingly, it went by quickly. I focused on my front rack, and my finishing position. The weight felt heavy towards the end but with enough rest I was ready to take on the next set without issue.
Power Snatch – 5×2 at 70% (115 lb.)

I learned a lot in this workout. I had one of my coaches watching my reps and he corrected a bunch of issues with my lift. I worked on my catch and foot work. I feel a lot more confident in this lift but I still have a lot of work to do.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

 

Barbells and Boxcars: Episode 5

Episode 5

In this episode of B&B we discuss the Pacific, California and South Regionals. We also discuss our highlights for the week. We talk about getting into wargaming and what to expect.

Contact Info:

Email: barbellsandboxcars@gmail.com

RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/BarbellsAndBoxcars

Links
EPISODE 5

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): May 2 – May 8

 

Monday

Power Snatch – EMOM For 9 Minutes at 75% (115 lb.)
After a few days of rest and recovery, I was ready to start the week strong. I did some warm up drills and some mobility before I started this EMOM. The workout as a whole wasn’t too bad. The weight wasn’t too heavy and helped me focus on form.  It was only nine reps which wasn’t too bad.
Strict Press – 8×4 at 70% (115 lb.)
Coming straight off the snatches, I started on the strict press. Thankfully the sets were short with only four reps. The workout didn’t last too long however. I would take a max of two minutes in between. I worked on my lock out and re racking the bar on my shoulders before the next rep.
Back Squat – Find A Heavy Two Rep
Same workout as last week without a percentage to guide us. I wanted to lift a heavier weight than last week (315 lb.), it would depend on how I feel during the warm up. The warm up went well and I worked my way up to 305 lb. before deciding on a weight.
Partner WOD – AMRAP 20 Minutes
15 burpees
20 overhead squats (115 lb.)
30 ab-mat sit ups
Run 100 m
This workout looks like a lot of fun. The overhead squats would be an issue but I’m sure I’ll be able to power through it. Each person must run 100 m which I hope wouldn’t be an issue. We decided to break up the workout evenly. The burpees would be done in fives and then the next round we would switch the order. The overhead squats were split into fives and the ab-mat sit ups were split in half.The burpees started out great, breaking them up into fives helped recovery. The overhead squats were easier than I though. It took me two rounds to warm up. During the breaks I would rest the bar on my back instead of dropping it. This way I wouldn’t have to power snatch it again. I had a difficult time during the last round since the bar and my hands were a bit moist from sweat. I didn’t want to run and chalk up so I gripped it a bit harder and held on. The sit ups were not too bad and the run was quick and short. We finished with six rounds completed.

Tuesday

Front Squat – Find A Heavy Two Rep
Another heavy squat day. I’m gaining confidence in my front squat and it feels great. I warmed up to 235 lb. before starting my heavy set. I loaded 265 lb. on the bar and started my set. The reps were challenging but I was able to complete them without help. I went up to 285 lb. but I was only able to complete one rep.
Power Snatch – 6×1 at 85%  (135 lb.)

My snatch is getting better and I can feel the difference. I treated this like an EMOM and finished it in six minutes.

Clean and Jerk Complex – 4×1 2 Power Clean + Jerk at 85% (185 lb.)

This workout was fun and challenging. I’m not used to jerks at this weight but I knew I could get it done. The whole workout was great and I finally feel more confident doing jerks. I need to do a few more heavy reps to get the hang of it.

Deficit Snatch Deadlift – 3×3 at 90% (145 lb.)

I haven’t done this in months. Thankfully I had a coach nearby to teach me. These were easy enough. It’s a light weight for me so I focused on form.

WOD – For Time
 
20 pistols
10 deficit handstand push ups
5 bar muscle ups
18 pistols
8 deficit handstand push ups
4 bar muscle ups
16 pistols
6 deficit handstand push ups
3 bar muslce ups
14 pistols
4 deficit handstand push ups
2 bar muscle ups
12 pistols
2 deficit handstand push ups
1 bar muscle up
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to throw in a WOD after training but I wanted to do some muscle ups. I used a 45 lb. plate for my deficit. The workout was tough but I had fun. I knew the pistols were going to be tough. I didn’t realize it would be that bad. The front squats killed my legs. The deficit handstand push ups went well. It wasn’t a huge deficit but I can tell I’m getting stronger. On the bar muscle ups, I was able to string a few together. I haven’t done it before so it was a small victory for me. I had to take short breaks but it wasn’t an issue. I finished the workout at 14:34.

Wednesday

Deadlift – 5 at 55%, 5 at 60%, 3 at 65%, 5 at 75%, 5 at 85%
I haven’t done deadlifts in a few weeks so I was eager to see how well I would perform. The lifts started to feel heavy around 75%.  I was able to finish the reps but it was challenging. At 85% I had to break up the reps into 2-1-2. I would take 30 seconds in between reps. I need to do more deadlifts. 

WOD – AMRAP 7 Minutes

15 power cleans (95 lb.)
30 double unders
After a few days of heavy power cleans, I was confident I could finish a lot of rounds in this workout. I didn’t think I would have problems with the double unders either. The first round was quick. I did 10 reps of cleans and finished with five reps. The 30 double unders were done unbroken. The following rounds were a lot slower. I over estimated my ability to handle the cleans. I had to break up the reps into sets of five. I was messing up the double unders, only finishing 10-15 reps at a time. After the second round I was drained. I managed to finish a third round but barely. My total rounds for this workout were 3 + 5 cleans.

Thursday

Strict Press – 10×3 at 75% (125 lb.)
This took awhile. I didn’t want to rush the rest so I took a minute or two between sets. The weight was heavy but I was able to get through the reps. 125 lb. used to feel a lot heavier, that must mean I’m getting stronger!
Clean Complex – 3×3 at 70% (155 lb.)
Halting clean deadlift + hang power clean + front squat
This was a fun complex. The last time I did pause cleans was back at the old gym which was more than five months ago. I took a long warm up to get used to the pause and make sure I had correct form. The complex was different, it was fun and I would want to do it again.
Three Position Power Snatch – Find A 1 Rep Heavy 

My snatch still needs some work but this wasn’t too bad. I hit a PR with a power snatch at 145 lb. but I wasn’t able to hit all three positions. I was able to get the ground and the hang snatch at 145 lb. but not the power position.

Friday

Push Press/Overhead Squat – 5×1 at 70% (145 lb.)
 
5 behind the neck push press + 3 overhead squats
I used my overhead squat 1RM instead of my snatch 1RM. I was wondering why this was so heavy! The hardest part of this workout was lowering the bar onto my back after the third rep. I had to be extremely careful since I didn’t want it to land on my spine. Surprisingly, the overhead squats were not too bad. The weight was okay but it irritated my writs a bit. The wrist wrap did help to stabilize but it wasn’t enough to take the pain away.
Jerk – Find A 1 Rep Heavy 

I haven’t maxed my jerk in awhile mainly because my clean hasn’t gone up by much. It was also my first time doing jerks from the blocks. It took a few reps to get used to the blocks and trusting my feet to not hit them. I was able to PR my jerk by 1 lb. and 5 lb. I missed at 226 lb. but I’m okay with it. My PR is not a huge leap but I’ll take it. I would like to hit a 225 lb. clean and jerk soon. I think I’m on the right track. I posted a video below of my jerk PR’s and my miss.

Back Squat – Find A 2 Rep Heavy
My main goal for this was to at least hit 90% like last week. Surprisingly, my 90% wasn’t that bad. I didn’t need a spot and I was able to get out of the bottom fairly quickly. I might want to max my squat soon. I was able to lift 325 lb. for two reps.
Death By – Burpee Box Jump 

This was an interesting one. I don’t like burpees, I’m slow at box jumps but I was excited to do this workout. The first seven minutes went well and I was keeping a good pace but then I hit a wall at the eighth minute. I was barely able to complete the eight reps under a minute and I was only able to finish seven in the ninth round. I did better than what I thought I was going to do. It was a small victory for me.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!




Barbells and Boxcars: Episode 4

Episode 4

In this episode of Barbells and Boxcars we discuss the 2016 Regional events. We talk about hand care and what we did in the box. We also discuss some board games.

Contact Info:

Email: barbellsandboxcars@gmail.com

RSS Feed: https://barbellsandboxcars.wordpress.com/feed/

Links

EPISODE 4

April 2016 Loot Crate Unboxing: Quest

 

What is Loot Crate?

Taken from the Loot Crate site, “Each month, Loot Crate™ ships a themed mystery box of the best geek, gaming, and pop culture gear to a subscriber base of over 100,000 Looters. We emphasize phenomenal support and content, and include gear from some of the most respected entertainment and consumer product companies in the world.” Loot Crate sells for $13.95 a month plus $6.00 shipping and handling. You can save on the costs by subscribing for longer periods as well. If you like this theme check out the link at the bottom to subscribe.

What’s in the Box?

Labyrinth was one of my earliest fantasy movies that I watched growing up. My favorite character was Sir Didymus the fox knight. As much as I loved the movie, I don’t really like this shirt. My mom saw me opening the box and she loved it. She’s a fan of the movie and she loves Bowie. This month is also when Guam holds the annual Relay For Life event. It’s an event and fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The colors for Relay For Life is purple and she’ll will wear this to the event.
The Harry Potter item is a pair of socks. On the socks are Voldemort’s horcruxes. I decided to give these to my little sister. She would wear this more than I would.
Skol! If you watched Vikings, you will hear that word every time they pick up a drinking horn. Now I have my very own.

 

Next up is a Nathan Drake poster from the Uncharted series. I haven’t played any of the Uncharted games and it’s a shame. Shame on me! Not sure if this will push me to buy the game but if someone wants to let me borrow it, I will not decline. This game releases on May 10th.

 

One of my favorite items in this box is a D20 ice mold. I’ve been seeing the Death Star mold online and I’ve been wanting something similar. Thankfully, the universe has obliged. Combined with the Avengers ice mold my drinks will be a lot more nerdier in the future.

This pin is a shield with a d20 in the middle. It’s my favorite pin so far this month. They also made alternate pins that were all gold. A friend of mine received a gold pin but I do not have a picture. You can also pick up a Gelatinous Cube companion if you play the Dungeon and Dragons MMO Neverwinter. I might look into this game now since it’s free to play.

Final Thoughts

This month’s box was great, even though I received two items I wouldn’t normally use. Since I could give them to family members, it was definitely worth it. The d20 ice mold and the Vikings drinking horn are my favorite items.
If you want to sign up use this LINK, also use the promo code BOX5 to save $5 off your first subscription. If that code doesn’t work you can use SAVE3 for $3 off any subscription. I also get credit towards more Loot Crates if you use the link.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Barbells and Boxcars: Episode 3

Episode 3

In this episode we discuss our week in CrossFit and talked about the other side of Warmachine, Hordes. We also talk about spoilers for the new edition of Warmachine. If you have any comments you can email us at barbellsandboxcars@gmail.com. You can also get a hold of us at our FACEBOOK PAGE. You can also comment here if you like.

Link